‘I had the time of my life studying at UC,’ says Tari, a graduate in Political Science who is now a policy advisor to the New Zealand Government.

‘First of all, the quality of the teaching was fantastic. The lecturers all had such a wealth of knowledge in their subject areas, and they were always so approachable and helpful to their students.

‘I also met so many great people, both academic staff and fellow students, that I have remained in close contact with since I have finished my studies. These were people from a range of different backgrounds, but with similar interests to me, so they made great friends.’

Tari’s role in the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment involves researching issues and providing written advice to Government Ministers to help guide their decisions.

‘The area in which I work is very broad, so I get to engage with a wide range of interesting stakeholders, from other government agencies to universities to leading New Zealand businesses,’ he says.

He explains that his BA provided him with invaluable skills that enable him to perform his duties.

‘Quite simply, it taught me how to think. It taught me how to research and gather the information I required, to analyse that information, and to draw conclusions around that analysis. It also provided me with excellent communication skills to present my conclusions, both in oral and written form. Further, it taught me important lessons around managing my time well. These are core skills for my job.’

Tari went on to complete a master’s degree, also in Political Science, with Distinction.

‘I always planned to undertake a master’s degree at UC. I realised the value to be gained from undertaking a supervised thesis that would allow me to go much deeper into a single area of research. It was certainly a challenge, but it really helped me to hone some of the skills that are so important in the employment world, most notably dedication to my work, self-motivation, and self-management.’

His degrees have also fed Tari’s natural interest in international politics and humanitarianism, and set him up for a long career in the field.

‘Unlike many people who study, I studied an area that I had a real interest in, and I was fortunate in that I was able to learn a great deal more about the trends and issues in international politics during my study,’ he says.

‘At this point, I would like to develop into a top policy advisor in the New Zealand public sector – to have the opportunity to work on high profile issues and develop quality solutions to those problems for New Zealand. But beyond that I will wait to see what doors open and what opportunities arise for me.’